"Ikuto told us to send you to rescue us while she went back to save Emily and the others," Rade said through tears.
"Master Jehfrit, we have no prior relationship, and I've even made mistakes. We can't offer you anything in return, so I don't know if you'd be willing to take such a tremendous risk to save us."
"But..."
Rade dropped to his knees, bowing deeply as he said, "I'm not afraid of death, but at least let my younger siblings live!"
"At least one of them must survive!"
"One who can carry our memories and dreams forward!"
"For us, that would be the best ending possible!"
"Please, please come to save us!"
"Enough," Jehfrit interrupted. "We're currently in Aharnita Town, and I'm already near your home. Where are you now? I'll come right away."
"Really?" Rade was shocked.
"Of course."
"We're..." Rade started to say but quickly caught himself, saying instead, "Master Jehfrit, since you're already in town, please go save Ikuto first. We can hold on for a little longer here!"
Initially, they thought Jehfrit was far away, making it impossible to save Ikuto. Therefore, if Jehfrit agreed to help, Rade and the others could only hold out for two or three days until Jehfrit arrived—because Ikuto had mentioned that saving people with Jehfrit's magic was easy.
But now that Jehfrit was already in town, their plan naturally changed. With renewed confidence, Rade believed they could persist long enough for Jehfrit to prioritize saving Ikuto first.
Of course, this would increase the risks significantly.
"Alright," Jehfrit nodded decisively.
Somewhere in the town.
Edward moved away from the window and sat down in a chair, looking at the man across from him.
"Mr. Laxus, it seems things have become complicated," Edward said.
"Have they?" Laxus smirked. "If you permit it, Mr. Edward, I can immediately wipe out the Aharnita family and those dark mages, destroying the barrier. Afterward, you can do whatever you want."
"We can't do that, Mr. Laxus," Edward replied. "I'm not an inspector; I'm just the new mayor-elect, and I still have a month before my term begins. John Aharnita is still recognized by the palace as the current mayor."
"If we kill him directly and present evidence, both you and I will face trouble. I'm old enough that dying doesn't matter much to me, but you're young, and representing Fairy Tail guild, there's no need for you to conflict with the kingdom over me."
Edward sighed. "The palace cares more about their interests than anything else. To them, what happens in Aharnita Town isn't significant, but breaking rules—they see that as their greatest enemy."
"What a hassle," Laxus frowned slightly.
'Boom'
Suddenly.
Distant sounds of battle echoed.
"What's happening?" Edward asked anxiously.
Laxus went to the window to observe the situation. "Someone is fighting, strong magical fluctuations."
"Who has John provoked now?" Edward furrowed his brow.
"Hmph, over the years, John has been corrupt, colluding with dark guilds, and conducting experiments on people. It's normal for him to provoke strong opponents," Laxus sneered.
"I hope that person will be alright," Edward said.
"He'll be fine," Laxus said. "Because I'm going to check it out."
"Huh?" Edward was startled.
"Sitting around doing nothing isn't my style." Laxus left these words behind and immediately turned into a bolt of lightning, leaving swiftly.
'Boom'
A streak of lightning flashed across the rooftop.
Natsu, who had been leaning on the windowsill, was surprised.
"Laxus?!"
'Clang' Erza immediately stood up. Her mind worked quickly, connecting last night's thunderclaps—just a few claps of thunder with no follow-up and no rain.
"The thief last night was Laxus!"
"Let's go!" Gray said decisively.
Everyone immediately got up and set off.
In the mayor's manor, bodies were strewn everywhere.
Dozens of former guild members stood before Ikuto, who leaned against a rock, sitting on the ground, head bowed, one hand clutching a broken longsword. The frenzy of slaughter had stopped.
"I never expected, Ikuto, that you could kill so many of my men," a tall, muscular man—over two meters tall—with a condescending expression looked down at Ikuto.
Saham, the vice president of the dark guild Skull Guild.
"Although they were just some trash, your strength lives up to your master and the reputation of the Moon Style."
"However, this is where you end."
Many mages slowly approached Ikuto.
Ikuto's vision blurred.
She could only see herself bleeding continuously.
Her longsword had broken multiple times, now reduced to just ten centimeters of blade—it was completely unusable.
Not just the sword.
Her body had long surpassed its limits.
Before, she could push herself further.
But now...
All her functions were utterly exhausted.
She couldn't fight anymore.
Even if she wasn't killed, she would just sit here and drift toward death—she didn't even have the strength to lift her head.
'Moon Style'
'Master...'
'I thought sacrificing myself would make things better.'
'But even this... is an illusion, huh...'
Ikuto forced a bitter smile.
Are the ideals of the Moon Style just false?
Why can't I do anything!
Why can't save anyone...
She trained hard all these years, ready to dedicate herself at a crucial moment, yet...
What she was doing now wasn't dedication.
It was merely desperate struggling.
Rade and the others' futures were uncertain.
Emily and the others were captured, and she couldn't save them either.
She...
Hadn't done anything.
In her final moments, before losing consciousness, perhaps it was a flashback.
Ikuto remembered many things, mostly worries for Rade and Emily, but in the end, she indulged in selfishness.
'At least... let me die with a beautiful fantasy.'
With her remaining strength, she said:
"Master Jehfrit, I heard you are a nobleman. If there is truly a next life, I wish to be an ordinary maid in your manor."
"That would be enough."
This was something Ikuto had read in a novel.
"The Evil Baron Falls in Love with Me"
The heroine, after being murdered, reincarnated as a baron's maid. They fell in love, pursued by enemies from her past life, and the male lead bravely protected her, resulting in a happy ending.
Ikuto managed a weak smile, embracing this beautiful dream, her thoughts sinking deeper until she descended into oblivion.
"First, I don't own a manor."
"Second, forget about next life; if you can live, why seek death?"
"Do you Moon Style practitioners always think about dying?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came.
Ikuto's eyes snapped open. Perhaps a spark of hope gave her some strength, and she struggled to lift her head, seeing a familiar silhouette.
That figure stood before her, facing numerous enemies.
In an instant, the figure became blurry again.
Because she cried.
"Master Jehfrit..."